Chapter 1—Differences Between UTVs, ATVs, and Highway Vehicles
Instructor's Notes
- Use the"Differences Between UTVs, ATVs, and Highway Vehicles" section of the video-enhanced PowerPoint presentation.
Objectives
- Students will understand the different features of UTVs.
- Students will learn how UTVs differ from ATVs and highway vehicles.
Features of Utility-Terrain Vehicles
A utility-terrain vehicle (UTV) is a motorized off-highway vehicle designed to travel on four or more tires and carry one or more persons. Several different companies manufacture UTVs with these features:
- Maximum speed capability greater than 35 miles per hour
- Width less than 80 inches
- Key-operated ignition switch or engine stop device (figure 5)
- Steering wheel
- Two-wheel or all-wheel drive
- Accelerator pedal (figure 6)
- Brake pedal
- Side-by-side seats (figure 7)
- Seatbelts
- Parking brake
- Headlights
- Low pressure tires (figure 8)
- Handholds for passengers
- Tail lights
- Rollover protection system
Figure 7—Features of a UTV (front view).
Figure 8—Features of a UTV (rear view).
A rollover protection system (ROPS) is a frame of steel pipe above and around the cab. This system is designed to protect occupants from being crushed during a rollover. A cab enclosure is not a ROPS system unless it is specified in the owner's manual or on the ROPS itself that it meets SAE J2194 or ASA ES 519 standards. All UTVs purchased by the Forest Service or operated by employees must be equipped with a ROPS. Studies from the Consumer Protection Commission state that ROPS, when combined with properly fastened seatbelts, are 99 percent effective in preventing fatalities and serious injuries in rollovers.
UTVs and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have several common features (figure 9). They both have four or more low-pressure tires, can be two-wheel or all-wheel drive, and have headlights and tail lights.
Despite these similarities, there are critical differences between the two vehicles. A UTV has a steering wheel with a sedentary operator while an ATV has handlebars and an active rider, who balances the machine and shifts weight as necessary. A UTV has side-by-side seats, while an ATV has a straddled seat. A UTV can carry one to four passengers, while an ATV is only approved for single riders in the Forest Service. A UTV has seatbelts for the operator and all passengers, while an ATV has none. A UTV has handholds for passengers, while an ATV does not. A UTV has an accelerator and brake pedal, while an ATV has a handlebar throttle and a handlebar and footbrake. A UTV has a ROPS, while an ATV does not.
Figure 9—UTV (left) and ATV (right).
UTVs Compared to Highway Vehicles
UTVs and highway vehicles (figure 10) have several similarities that help the operator learn how to use the vehicle. Similar features include:
- A steering wheel
- Two or all–wheel drive systems
- Side-by-side seats
- Ability to carry passengers
- Handholds for passengers
- Seatbelts
- Accelerator pedal and brake pedal
- Cargo racks and boxes (on some models)
Figure 10—Highway vehicle and UTV.
Despite these similarities, operators of UTVs should not drive a UTV like they would a highway vehicle (table 1). UTVs are not street legal in all states and they handle differently than highway vehicles. A UTV has low pressure off-highway tires, a high center of gravity, and a smaller wheelbase that makes it less stable than highway vehicles. A UTV is more prone to roll or flip over if driven too fast or steered abruptly.
